Detachable sweatband



w. H. LEHMBERG ET AL DETACHABLE SWEATBAND Nov. 26, 1946.

Filed June 19, 1946 Patented Nov. 26, 1946 DETACHABLE SWEATBAN D WilliamH. Lehmberg, Riverside, Conn., and Ernest L. Johnson, Port Chester, N.Y.

Application June 19, 1946, Serial No. 677,724

3 Claims.

This invention comprises a detachable sweat band of new and improvedconstruction for use in connection with protective head guards, helmets,shields and the like worn by industrial workers such as welders andfoundry men.

In general it is the object of the invention to provide a sweat bandhaving large capacity for absorption and of such construction that itmay be easily and rapidly attached to and detached from a bowedsupporting member so that replacement is made convenient for the wearer,contact with the face is made comfortable, and construction of thearticle inexpensive. All these and other advantages are achieved in theband of our invention which is characterized by a felt body having coverstrips attached to the two edges of one face and extending oppositely inoverlapping relation so that they tend to conform in fiat condition tothe felt body. When a band of this construction is applied to a bowedsupporting member, the cover strips are immediately placed in tensionand the band as a whole is thus held securely in place by the resultingfriction. We thus eliminate the necessity for studs, snap fasteners Orthe like which have been heretofore considered necessary, and have notonly added to the expense of the bands which have been available buttake up room and present objectionable projections and irregularities inthe contour of the band.

We have also discovered that the capacity of the felt body of a sweatband and the rapidity of its absorption may beadvantageously increasedby treating the band with a suitable wetting agent, and this stepconstitutes another important but optional feature of our invention.

These and other features of the invention will lowing description of apreferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration andshown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View in perspective of a head guard and shield equipped withour detachable sweat band,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the component parts thereof,

Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of the band as shown in flat condition,and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and onan enlarged scale.

The head guard shown in Fig. 1 comprises a circular adjustable band IQof hard fibre or the like having its rear ends adjustably connected by acurved sleeve II in which is set a clamping screw I2. Pivotally mountedupon the band I be best understood and appreciated from the folatopposite sides thereof is a visor I3 carrying a transparent shield I4.As indicated in this figure, the visor may be swung from an inoperativeposition as shown in full lines to an operative position before the eyesof the wearer as shown in dotted lines.

The forepart of the band 10 is equipped with an absorbent sweat bandcomprising the elements shown in Fig. 2. These include a straight stripof felt I5 preferably treated with a wetting agent such as Alkanol(alkylnaphthalene-sodium-sulfonate). The wetting agent substantiallyincreases the rapidity and capacity of the felt strip for absorption.Any suitable wetting agent having the general properties of Alkanol maybe successfully employed. To the body strip I5 are united two coverstrips I6 and I1, shown in Fig. 2 as being of the same length as thebody strip and scalloped at one edge. The cover strips may be of thinfelt or other textile material. They are secured to the body strip I5 bybeing stitched to the opposite edges of one face, that is to say, theface that is outermost in the assembled device. As shown in Fig. 3, thestrip I6 is stitched to the lower edge of the body strip I5 and lies incontact with its surface. The strip I1 is stitched to the upper edge ofthe body strip I5 and overlaps the strip I6. Both of the cover stripsare slightly narrower than the body strip so that they may lie naturallyin flat overlapping position.

In order to attach the composite band thus provided, it is necessaryonly to fold back the two cover strips. apply the inner face of the bodystrip directly to the inner face of the band I 0, and then fold thecover strips down upon the outer face of the band It]. The compositetextile band is thus supported with a pronounced convex curvature sothat the cover strips I6 and I1 are subjected to substantial tensionthus developing friction between each other and also between the textileband and the supporting band In which holds the textile band firmly inplace. At the same time it may be easily detached and removed by merelyfolding the cover strips up and down to clearthe supporting band I0.

It will be understood that the shield shown in Fig. 1 is only one of thedevices in which we contemplate employing the composite textile sweatband herein illustrated. It may be usefully employed in any devicehaving a bowed supportin member carrying an absorbent pad in contactwith the face of the wearer.

Any wetting agent having the general characteristics of Alkanol may beemployed in treatband co prising a feltbody strip, and cover strips sewnto the two edges of one face of the said body strip, extendingoppositely in overlapping relation and being tensioned upon the convexface of the supporting member while the felt body strip is conformed toits. concave face.

2. A detachable sweat band adapted to be conformed to a bowed resilientsupporting member and comprising a felt body strip, and cover stripsattached to the body strip at opposite edges of one face thereof,extending oppositely in overlapping relation, and arranged to betensioned when the band is longitudinally curved.

3. A detachable sweat band for use with a protective head guard,comprising a flat straight body strip of felt of uniform width andthickness from end to end and having a wetting agent distributedtherein, and a pair of cover strips both of less width than the saidbody strip and being attached respectively to opposite edges of one faceof the body strip and overlapping each other, thus developing frictionalengagement when the band as. a whole is longitudinally bowed.

WILLIAM H. LEHMBERG. ERNEST L. JOHNSON.

